Want to know more about the smaller communities and checkpoints along the Iron Dog race route? Here’s a primer to these unique and welcoming locales:

SKWENTNA, population 38 (as of July 2015), is located on mostly flat land in Southcentral Alaska on the Skwentna River. It is 89 miles from the start.PUNTILLA, population two (as of 2013), is located on Puntilla Lake near a breathtaking mountain pass. Puntilla is 161 miles from the start.ROHN, population zero (as of 2012), is located at a small roadhouse where two rivers join, and is 236 miles from the start.NIKOLAI, population 96 (as of 2013), is 310 miles from the start on the south fork of the Kuskokwim River.McGRATH, population 354 (as of 2013), located on the Innoko River, is 362 miles from the start.OPHIR, population zero (as of 2013), is 425 miles from the start located on the Innoko River.POORMAN, population zero (as of 2013), located in a flatland region and the last checkpoint before Ruby, is 524 miles from the start.RUBY, population 170 (as of 2013), is on the Yukon River and marks the turning point to Nome. Pro racers pass through Ruby twice – first 596 miles from the start on the way to Nome and again at mile 1,620 on the return route to Fairbanks.GALENA, population 479 (as of 2013), is an Athabascan village in the Interior, 648 miles from the start on the way to Nome and 1,568 miles from the start on the return route to Fairbanks.KALTAG, population 194 (as of 2013), located along the Yukon River, is 746 miles from the start on the way to Nome and 1,470 miles from the start on the return route to Fairbanks.UNALAKLEET, population 712 (as of 2013), on the coast of Norton Sound north of the Unalakleet River, is 841 miles from the start on the way to Nome and is 1,375 miles from the start on the return route to Fairbanks.SHAKTOOLIK, population 260 (as of 2013), is on a point jutting into Norton Sound, 882 miles from the start and 1,334 miles from the start on the return route to Fairbanks.KOYUK, population 344 (as of 2013), located on the coast, is 939 miles from the start on the way to Nome and is 1,277 miles from the start on the return route to Fairbanks.WHITE MOUNTAIN, population 197 (as of 2013), located in the mountains on the Fish River, is 1,033 miles from the start on the way to Nome and is 1,183 miles from the start on the return route to Fairbanks.TANANA, population 251 (as of 2013), located on the Yukon River, is 1,740 miles from the start.MANLEY HOT SPRINGS, population 89 (as of 2010), is 1,812 miles from the start.NENANA, population 386 (as of 2013), located on Mile 305 of the George Parks Highway, is 1,917 miles from the start.NORTH POLE, population 2,214 (as of 2013), is located on the Richardson Highway, just south of Fairbanks. North Pole was added to the racecourse to facilitate a new finish location in Fairbanks, and increased the course distance.Source: Population and location descriptions based on U.S. Census Bureau estimates and the Iditarod Trail Committee.